What Does It Mean to Be Truly Sealed in Christ?

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, an Oklahoma rancher and farmer. Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for over 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say, time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. I appreciate the prayers of everyone, and again, we'd just like to remind folks that all the past programs are available on either videotape, on books, and audio. So if you're interested in any of that, why don't you give us a call or drop us a note. We are encouraged by so many that are using this for home Bible studies, because after all, let's face it, the church just doesn't have time. I mean, I don't blame the pastors. After all, most congregations won't give him more than 20 minutes, and the poor guy doesn't stand a chance to teach like this in 20 minutes once a week, even if they have a Wednesday night Bible study. So we realize that there has to be more time spent in the home in Bible study, and we do appreciate so many that are using the videotapes and the books in home Bible studies, and that's not to take away from the church whatsoever. But rather to enhance it and edify it. Now then, back to Ephesians chapter 1, and we're ready for verse 13, I trust. And again, we start right out with that same prepositional phrase, in home. All the way through we've got this positional reminder that we are in Christ. That's something that nowhere else in Scripture do you hear of, of a group of people being actually in the Godhead itself. In this case of course, the person of Christ. Speaking of the Godhead, unless you wonder where I get that term. Honey, I hate to throw you a curve like this, but turn up to Colossians chapter 2, and we have to read verse 8 in order to flow into verse 9. Where he writes, Colossians 2, verse 8, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Do you see the danger? Most of us have just been inundated with tradition, and tradition is alright as far as it goes, but we've always got to line it up again with the Word. And so we are not to fall through the philosophy of vain deceit and the traditions of men. But alright, verse 9 is the one I really wanted. For in him, that is in Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Now that blows a lot of people's minds. Who is the Godhead? God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, isn't it? Sure, that's the Godhead, but Christ is the epitome of it, as He settled down in the Godhead bodily, with that resurrected body that He left from the Mount of Olives and ascended into glory. Let me take another verse that just comes to mind, and that's the way I teach. As they come flying through, then I feel we have to stop and look. Isaiah, in fact this even fits with the earlier three programs. I at one time thought I was going to go back to it, and didn't have time. But here again, oh, this is the Christ who died for us. This is the Christ that feeds us today. This is the Christ that's coming again, we trust real soon, Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7. And oh, this fits with these verses in Ephesians. This is the Christ in whom we dwell. Now remember, this is the prophet writing to the nation of Israel. So the pronoun us, of course, is to the nation of Israel. For unto us a child is born, unto us, that is the nation of Israel, a son is given. And the government, this thousand year rule and reign, when He'll be King of kings and Lord of lords, and we feel we're getting closer all the time. We know we're getting closer, but I mean we're getting close. When He will rule and reign, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called, and His name shall be called, and His name shall be called, and His name shall be called, and this is His name, Jesus Christ, Our God. So what have you got already entwined in this one verse? God the Father, and God the Son. This is mindboggling to remember, but you've just got to remember, and here we have it now. Here he comes as King of kings, and Lord of lords, to set up his kingdom here on this earth, and of his government, and peace, all the world has no idea what it would be like to live in total peace. And of his peace there shall be no end." This thousand years will never have even a little brush fire war. It�s a thousand years of peace under the rule and reign of the mighty God, the Consular of the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And where is he going to rule from? Jerusalem, the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even forever. And how is it going to happen? The zeal and the power of the Lord of hosts will perform this, and in our last half hour we were seeing the power of God. It�ll bring it about. Don�t you worry about whether these things will happen. Yes they will, because we�re all human. We read these things, and I know I do. Is it really going to happen? Don�t you? Sure we do. I mean not that we�re doubting it, but on the other hand we have to face reality. Is all of this really going to happen? I couldn�t help but think about it the other night, and then all of a sudden the Lord sent the thought into my mind, that everything that the Old Testament prophesied concerning His First Coming happened. And I imagine those people back 1500 years before Christ, they couldn�t begin to imagine that all of these things would happen, and I imagine they felt the same way. Is God really meaning business with us? Yes He was, because it all happened. So don�t ever lose heart, and always remember that God�s Word is sure. Back to Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13. Now remember, who is Paul writing to? Believers. He�s not writing to the whole world, he�s writing to those who are now Believers, and so he�s writing to you and I as Believers today. Now of course as he writes to Believers, it�s also going to have an effect on the unsaved person, but he�s writing to Believers in our position in Christ. And here is how again we got there. It was in him that we trusted. Now what�s the other word for trust in the Bible? Faith or Belief. You can use either one of those. In whom you also believed, in whom you also had your faith. When? After. After you heard the Word of Truth. Now let these words soak in, I�m going to spend the rest of the half hour I think on just this verse, because too many people just glibly read this without really understanding what it says. Now that reminds me of verses in Romans, Romans chapter 10, oh let�s just drop down to verse 13. We were just sharing it with someone here in the studio during the break time. Romans 10, verse 13. For whosoever anyone shall call upon the name of the LORD, shall be saved. Now I had a nice conversation with someone on the phone again the other morning, and he was wondering about the words saved and righteous. And he had a verse where they were more or less in the same context, and I said absolutely. In fact I read one time long time ago, it would probably be more appropriate for us to say today that we were made righteous, rather than to say we were saved. I�m not taking anything away from the word saved, but really when we�re saved what happened? We were made righteous. And so it�s really more appropriate, I agree with it, it�s almost more appropriate to say that I was made righteous when I believed, rather than just simply say I was saved. Because that�s exactly what God did. He imputed the righteousness of Christ to you and I when we believed. But look what had to happen first. We had to call upon Him and let Him know. You know I tell people, verbalize it. Don�t just say, Oh yeah, I believe. But you verbalize it. Lord, I believe that you died for me. I believe that you were buried and that you rose from the dead. I believe that your shed blood is payment for my sin. I believe that. Verbalize it. Don�t just assume that God can read your mind, although we know He can. So whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD, shall be saved. Now in verse 14, how then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? So it takes the whole complex human being to bring all this into an experience. We have to hear it, we have to think about it, we have to comprehend it, and then we have to use the mouth and verbalize it. So how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him of whom they have never heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? Now I looked that up one time in the Greek, and my own pastor used the same analogy. I hope he read my stuff, I don�t know if he did or not, but he used the same word that I did. Proclaimer. And I like that. That�s really the better word in the Greek than preacher. How shall they hear without a proclaimer? And that�s what we have to do. We have to proclaim the Gospel. We don�t necessarily have to preach. We�ve become victims of tradition a lot of times. And we get the idea that preaching is getting all exercised, and doing a lot of stomping and yelling and all that. No, that�s not necessarily the case. We proclaim the Word of God. Verse 15. Ephesians 2. And how shall they proclaim, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that proclaim the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. Now you got the process there? God had to reveal the Gospel, didn�t He? And we know He did through the Apostle Paul. And the Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to put it down in print, so that we can have it right in front of us. Alright, but by and large, most people have to have someone to explain the Scriptures. Now I don�t say it�s mandatory, but usually someone has to explain the Scriptures to an unbeliever, and bring him to the place where he can believe it, and understand it. And that�s what he�s talking about here. How can they hear, unless God providentially sends someone to proclaim it? Now I guess that�s what we were talking about at break time. Does it take the providence of God? Yes! Absolutely it does! In fact, honey can you find Acts 16? Let�s go back and look at that one. It�s one of my favorite verses when it comes to this whole idea of bringing lost people to a knowledge of salvation. This is not something that we take glibly, this is something that I think it takes the power of God, it takes the working of the Holy Spirit, and without it none of us can amount to anything. My teaching amounts to nothing if the Holy Spirit isn�t behind it. And so here�s the whole idea, Acts 16 and dropping down to verse 14. And to me this is the perfect example of what we have to see happen in whatever we�re saying. Whether it�s you, or whether it�s I, or whether it�s someone else. And a certain woman, Paul is of course up in northern Greece, outside the city of Philippi, and he says, "...a certain woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God," so she was religious, she was probably a Jewess, "...heard us, whose heart," now watch this, "...whose heart," who opened? The Lord did. Paul didn�t, Luke didn�t, the Lord opened her heart. So that what happened? She attended, or listened and comprehended the things which were spoken of Paul. Now in this particular verse, who is the proclaimer? Well Paul is. Paul is simply speaking for the Gospel. But before this Jewish lady in Philippi could comprehend it, who had to open her heart? The Lord does, in the person of the Holy Spirit, and that has never changed. Every person that comes to a saving knowledge of the Gospel, has to have their understanding opened by a work of the Holy Spirit, which of course is there for everyone. No one can ever say, well the Holy Spirit never approached me. Oh yes He does, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, He�s everywhere. He doesn�t miss a soul, not a one. No one can ever say, well I was never approached by the Holy Spirit. Oh yes they are. In fact, another verse comes to mind. Come back to John�s Gospel, chapter 1, and I think this again is just because of the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit, otherwise this verse would just be total Greek to me. John�s Gospel, chapter 1, verse 9, and speaking of Christ and His earthly ministry of course. And John writes, �That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.� That�s what it says, �The light of Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world.� Well how? Through the omnipresent work of the Holy Spirit. No one, in fact on your way back to Ephesians, stop at Romans chapter 1. No one will ever come up before the Great White Throne, and only lost people will be there, remember. No one will ever come up before the Great White Throne and say, �I never had a chance.� Never! Because the Bible says they won�t. Romans 1, verse 19, �For that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shown it unto them,� past tense, it�s done, just like John 1.9, �that He is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.� Paul says basically the same thing, �for God hath shown it unto them, for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they, the whole human race, are without excuse.� No one will ever be able to say to God, �But I never had a chance.� And I don�t know the basis of that, in fact I�ve got another one, Titus, go on past Ephesians for the time being, and go all the way back to Titus chapter 2, verse 11. Now some of these verses are just mind boggling, I know they are, but the Scripture does not lie, and so we have to believe it. Titus chapter 2, verse 11, and I�m tying all these together, John 1.9, �that He is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.� Paul says that the power of God is manifested in them, so that they are without excuse, and now look what Paul says here, �But the grace of God which bringeth salvation has appeared unto all men.� And don�t ask me how it is, I look at the people down in the jungles of South America, who we feel have never heard the Gospel, and then in the light of these verses, and they�re responsible? Yeah, they are. They�re going to come before the great white throne as lost as loss can be, and without a word of excuse, and yet God is going to be absolutely fair and just in His judgment, and He�s going to be able to say, �You could have known. You could have known.� And the only reason they didn�t know? They didn�t choose to. It�s one of those things of Scripture that is hard to comprehend, and I�m the first to admit it. Now back to Ephesians 1. We�ve got a lot to go on in this one verse, don�t we? Ephesians 1.2, �So in whom also ye trusted, or placed your faith, after ye heard the word of truth.� Now I didn�t even finish what I wanted in Romans, did I? But I think you got the gist, that how can they proclaim the Word unless the Spirit sends them? Ephesians 1.2, �So after these believers at Ephesus, or as Paul writes to us today, we trusted in Christ after we heard the Word of Truth.� And what�s the Word of Truth? The Gospel. Now a lot of people are still confused about the Gospel. In fact it is amazing, right here in the Bible Belt, I have had untold numbers, and Jerry sits right here, he�s heard them in one of my classes, where they can tell me, �I have never heard this Gospel before.� And they�ll say it over and over, �I�ve never heard this before,� and they�ve been in church all their life. Well what�s the Gospel they�ve never heard? I Corinthians 15, verses 1-4, and I tell people over the phone constantly, just read I Corinthians 15, the first four verses. If you can believe that, you�ve got it made. I mean that�s it, it�s that simple. I Corinthians 15, verses 1-4. I know I�ve said it on the program before, there is probably no simpler place in all of Scripture where the Gospel is presented than these four verses. This is so simple a child can understand it, and yet it�s as much as you need. Moreover, brethren, verse 1, I declare unto you the Gospel, which I preached unto you, and which also you have received, and wherein you stand, by which also you are saved. Like I said a moment ago, we�re made righteous, right standing with God, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, lest you believe in vain. In other words, you have to know what you believe, don�t you? You have to understand what you believe, that yes, Christ the Son of God, the Creator of the Universe, who called it all into being, went to the cross, shed His blood, paid the price of redemption, rose from the dead. We believe that. Verse 3. For Paul says, I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. How that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. It was all in that predetermined counsel that we read about in Acts chapter 2. So that He died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Verse 4. He was buried, and He arose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Now that�s the Gospel. That�s why in Romans 10, 9, and 10, He says, For with a heart man believeth unto salvation, and for by faith, now wait a minute, let�s look at it, I don�t want to misquote it. Romans 10, 9, and 10, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised Him from the dead, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. What is that? That�s the Gospel. That if you believe with all your heart that Christ died and rose again, thou shalt be saved. And then the reason is that with the heart we believe. Alright, let�s have another one in that same light that Paul is always bringing up. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 13, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 13, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope." In other words, if we have a loved one who has passed on, and he was a believer, we don�t have to worry, we�re going to see them again. And here�s the reason. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 14, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 14, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? For if we repent and are baptized, then even so those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 14, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? For if we repent and are baptized, then even so those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 14, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? For if we repent and are baptized, then even so those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 14, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? For if we repent and are baptized, then even so those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 14, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? For if we repent and are baptized, then even so those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 14, and we�re not going to finish that verse are we? For if we repent and are baptized, then even so those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him. For if we repent and are baptized, then even so those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring